geography of north america
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The Physical Features ofNorth America
Presentation created by Robert L. MartinezPrimary Content Source: Geography Alive!
This large region contains two sub-regions, Canada and Alaska make up the northern part. The 48 continental United
States makes up the southern part.
West of the Great lakes, the two sub-regions are separated by the 49th
parallel of latitude. East of the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River
separates the two sub-regions.
If you look at the physical map of this region, you see mountains running along
both sides with a large, flat area in the center. This flat area runs from the Arctic
Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. It is made up of shield and plains.
In North America, this rock core was exposed thousands of years ago. During the ice ages, glaciers scraped across the land, taking the soil with them. They left
just a thin layer of soil in eastern and central Canada.
Plains are flat or gently rolling areas of land. Much of the soil that glaciers scraped from the Canadian Shield
ended up on the plains of Canada and the United States.
The Canadian Shield covers almost half of Canada. The rest of this sub-region contains islands,
lakes, plains, and mountains.
These lakes lie between Canada and the United States. They are the world’s largest group of freshwater lakes. The St. Lawrence River connects the Great
Lakes to the ocean.
To the far north are many smaller lakes and Hudson Bay. The region extends past the Arctic Circle and ends with a scattering of islands.
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In the Atlantic Ocean, off the southeast coast of Newfoundland, lie the Grand Banks. The ocean is very
shallow here.
Far to the west, in the Alaska Range, is the highest peak in North
America. Mount McKinley rises 20,320 feet above sea level.
Two major mountain ranges run through the continental United States.
In the east, the Appalachians are a gentle range of rounded peaks and
deep valleys.
In the west, the Rocky Mountains jut up into jagged, snowcapped peaks. The Rockies reach all the way from
Alaska to New Mexico.
This vast, mostly flat region extends about 2,500 miles north and south.
From the Rockies, the dry and treeless Great Plains slope down to the central
lowlands.
A large system of rivers drains most of the plains between the
Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians.
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